Reed
Days had passed since Zinnia decided to use herself as bait. I didn’t trust her to be alone, but I also couldn’t be with her every second of the day. It was a constant battle in my head, knowing she was capable of doing what she wanted, and also knowing that Roman wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet between her eyes. And that was a risk I couldn’t take.
That evening, I cornered Alex. I hated that I had to play on her emotions to keep Zinnia safe, but I had no other choice. I knew it ate her up inside, the fact that her own father had handed Zinnia over to Roman like some disposable pawn. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t her fault. She carried the guilt like it was hers to bear.
“You owe her, Alex,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “And right now, the best thing you can do for her is make sure she doesn’t do anything reckless. I need you to watch her. Keep her from-”
Alex’s expression hardened as she snapped. “You think I don’t already know that? You think I don’t already feel the weight of what happened?” Her voice cracked, but she didn’t waver. “I don’t need you to remind me, Reed. I’ll be reminded for the rest of my damn life.”
I clenched my jaw. That wasn’t my intention. I opened my mouth to apologize, but she cut me off before I could even form the words.
“Don’t bother,” she muttered. “I’ll keep an eye on her. Not for you. For her.”
Days passed, and Zinnia still hadn’t brought up her plan again. It should’ve put me at ease, but instead, it made my stomach churn with unease. I felt like something was happening right under my nose, and I was too blind to see it.
I started watching Hermine more closely, noticing the way she and Zinnia exchanged glances, the silent understanding between them. Something was up.
I cornered Hermine in my office and I began raining accusations at her as though she were the cause of my frustration. “Tell me you’re not helping her.”
She scoffed, crossing her arms. “You really are an obsessive bastard, you know that? You don’t own her, Reed. Maybe you should try trusting her for once.”
I stepped closer, my voice dangerous. “I trust Zinnia. I don’t trust Roman. That’s the problem.”
“Then trust that Zinnia knows what she’s doing.” Hermine’s gaze was steady, unwavering. “She’s not some fragile thing you use to know and have to keep locked away.”
She didn’t get it. None of them did. Zinnia was the only thing keeping me from completely unraveling. If I lost her… Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones.
That night, I went to check on her. My gut was twisting in knots as I pushed open the door, half expecting to find her sitting on the bed, waiting to argue with me again.
But the room was empty and the silence was too loud. Her bed was made and her window left ajar. Then I saw it.
A small note, placed neatly on the bed. Two words.
“I’m sorry.”
My knees nearly buckled as I sank onto the mattress, the paper crinkling under my grip. My breath came in sharp, uneven bursts as I read and re-read those two words, my vision blurring with rage.
She was gone. She had walked straight into hell.
The air in the room felt thick, suffocating. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stand. My hands curled into fists as a storm of emotions raged inside me anger and something deeper, something I couldn’t name but that burned through my veins like poison.
I stormed out of the room, my boots heavy against the cold concrete floor. The moment I reached the control room, Hermine and Alex looked up from the monitors. One glance at my expression and Alex’s face paled.
“Where is she?” My voice was low but barely controlled.
Hermine hesitated, her fingers twitching over the keyboard. “Reed-”
“Don’t,” I growled. “Don’t lie to me. Don’t try to cover for her. You knew, didn’t you?”
Hermine swallowed, looking guilty. Alex, however, looked defiant. “She did what she had to. You were never going to let her go, so she went on her own.”
I took a slow, measured step toward Alex, my fury barely contained. “And you let her?”
“Let her?” Alex scoffed, standing her ground. “No one lets Zinnia do anything. She makes her own damn choices, Reed. You should know that better than anyone.”
I turned to Hermine. “Tell me you can track her.”
Hermine exhaled, her fingers already flying across the keyboard. “I don’t know how much of a head start she has, but if she’s using the phone we gave her, I can find her.”
A few agonizing seconds passed before Hermine cursed under her breath. “Damn it. She turned off the tracker.”
I slammed my fist against the wall. “Of course she did.”
Alex stepped forward. “Reed, she has a plan. She knows what she’s doing.”
I turned on her, my voice like ice. “If you actually believe that, you’re a bigger fool than I thought.”
Alex’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t back down. “And what are you going to do? Go in guns blazing? That’s exactly what she didn’t want.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because all I knew was that I needed to get to her before Roman did.
Hermine’s fingers flew over the keyboard again, her eyes scanning lines of code. “She might have turned off the tracker, but I can try tracing recent activity. If she used any of our devices before leaving, I might be able to pinpoint a general location.”
“Do it,” I ordered.
Minutes passed like hours before Hermine let out a victorious noise. “Got something. She used one of our encrypted servers, briefly, but it was enough. She’s in the city. Near the docks.”
My heart pounded. “That’s Roman’s territory.”
“I know,” Hermine said grimly. “She’s not just walking into danger, Reed. She’s walking straight to him.”
The realization nearly knocked the air from my lungs. I turned, already heading for the door. “Gear up. We’re going after her.”
Alex grabbed my arm. “Reed-”
I yanked free. “You can stay here if you want. But I’m not waiting around while she hands herself over to that bastard.”
Hermine stood. “I’m coming. We’ll need backup.”
I nodded, my mind racing. “Then move. We don’t have time to waste.”
As we rushed to prepare, one thought consumed me. Zinnia thought she could outmaneuver Roman.
She was wrong. And if I didn’t get to her in time, I’d be too late to save her.
“Reed?” Hermine calls out while I am busy packing and cross checking my guns. “There’s something I didn’t tell you.” Hermine fidgets, wondering if telling me what she was withholding was a smart idea. I gave her a look that says now is not the time. She swallow a knot.
“The last person she was in contact with was the Bull. Reed, she secretly made plans with him to be handed over as bait to Roman.”
______________